The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) (No. 3) Order 2020, to take effect on the 31st of August 2020 introduces new permitted development rights to allow certain buildings to be demolished and replaced with housing.
The explanatory note to the new regulations states that they allow for ‘the demolition of a single detached building in existence on 12 March 2020 that was used for office, research and development or industrial processes, or a free-standing purpose-built block of flats, and its replacement by an individual detached block of flats or a single detached dwellinghouse within the footprint of the old building. The old building should have a footprint no larger than 1,000 square metres and be no higher than 18 metres. The old building must have been built before 1990 and have been vacant for at least six months before the date of the application for prior approval. The right provides permission for works for the construction of a new building that can be up to two storeys higher than the old building with a maximum overall height of 18 metres.’
Like other permitted development rights, the rights are subject to prior approval from the Local Authority, and prior approval must be given before works can commence. In determining the prior approval application the Local Authority may consider issues such as transport, contamination, flood risk, design, residential amenity, noise and heritage matters.
The rights do not apply to buildings in national parks or conservation areas, listed buildings, scheduled monuments, or on sites within 3km of an aerodrome.
The regulations can be read at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/756/introduction/made
If you have a building that you think may qualify for the new permitted development rights then please do not hesitate to contact Spruce Town Planning Ltd if you would like to discuss.
